The Beast of Fox Hill

Two

As the glowing crimson eyes stared back at me I felt my heart begin to pound. What animal has red glowing eyes? I was no nature expert but as far as I knew nothing had eyes that glowed like this creature's did. 

I slowly stood up, careful not to make any sudden moves. This could be an aggressive animal for all I knew and I wasn't about to cause it to attack me. I cautiously moved to the other side of my ATV just to put something between myself and the animal. 

As I moved around the ATV, a deep, low, guttural growl was let loose. The noise sounded like it came from something big. Very big. If my body hair wasn't standing on end before, it certainly was now. Whatever this animal was was dark enough to hide in the shadows with exception of its eyes, making it impossible for me to see how large it actually was.. Based on the horrifying growl it made, it was no small raccoon or opossum. 

I carefully placed one foot on the metal footrest on my four wheeler, carefully pulling myself onto it. I kept my eyes on the red ones that stared back at me, making sure it didn't lunge out of the forest line at me. 

In a swift but steady motion, I swung my leg over the seat, sat down and hit the first gear. I put the thumb throttle as far back as it would go and quickly released it for a split second to shift to the next two gears. I once again put the throttle to its maximum. Dirt flew up behind me as the wheels dug into the dirt below, sending the ATV forward. 

I wasn't the type to get scared easily, but something about those red eyes made me want to get the hell away from them. The second my ATV took off, a horrifying growl ripped through the air and I knew I had pissed it off somehow. 

I kept my thumb down on the throttle eager to get off the road and to my trailer now that there was an angry red eyed monster after me. I heard the trees beside me rustling as I drove as fast as the ATV would go. It was trying to keep up with me. No, not even trying. It was keeping up with me if not even faster than me. 

My heart pounded as I looked over to the tree line to see red eyes keeping pace with me. I looked back to the dirt road, careful not to hit anything that would slow me down. Looking ahead, I knew I was coming to a turn in the road. I looked over to the creature which was now looking in the direction I was. 

It looked over to me as if it were reading my mind and knew I was scared because of the corner. It would lead the beast right to me. I had to get away from the creature, but the distance to my trailer was shorter than that back to town. It wouldn't make sense for me to try to make it back to Mrs. Penny's shop, not to mention she was probably long gone by now. 

I only had one chance at safety and that was my trailer. I pushed the throttle even harder, willing it to go faster. I knew I had to get to that corner before the creature did. The look in it's eyes told me its intelligence level, and it looked as if it knew the very moves I was making. 

The corner was coming ever closer, my heart beat was pumping more than it did when I had to run a mile in physical education class. I was seconds from the corner now and I almost wanted to close my eyes. 

I looked at the beast one more time and its eyes almost spoke words. It knew I was scared, it knew I wanted to get home. It knew I would be vulnerable around that corner and it could easily cut me off. 

Everything happened in mere seconds. 

The moment I began to turn the corner I heard the large creatures footsteps speed up, crunching against the dead leaves and twigs in the forest. My heart stopped and my chest filled with anxiety as I began to fully turn the bend in the road. 

Within the seconds, the monstrous creature exited the forest at full speed, jumping into the air. As if time stood still, I looked at the beast and turned my head just in time for it to smash its large dark fur covered body into my own.